6/21/2015

We have been going to this neighborhood gem for years!  

Small with a very intimate vibe. Restaurant is decorated stylishly with recycled materials.

The food is excellent and never disappoints.  The menu rotates seasonally but the rabbit with bay scallops and the venison are our favorites!

This year they started taking reservations. Do yourself a favor and stop by soon!

8/6/2015

This isn't a bad review. But it's not a good review either. Clearly, I'm confused and hangry....

I want to love Ruxbin. I honestly do. The food is delicious!! I want to shout from the highest rooftops about the culinary wonder that is Ruxbin. But it's with a heavy and regretful heart, I can't.

I dined at Ruxbin this summer and thoroughly enjoyed every morsel of food that was in front of me...and yet, I left hungry. I'm even a light eater and left wanting more. My date and I ordered what we thoughts were an ample number of dishes, including dessert, and while each were well worth 5+ stars for taste (the braised rabbit and octopus - OMG drool!), we were disappointed that we paid so much only to have our palates teased. It's like their starters were mere tastings and their mains were small plates. After 5 years of eating my way through this city, I can't remember any restaurant experience in Chicago where I left this hungry.

Overall, I would rate them 5 stars for food and give high marks for service and ambiance, as well, but sadly, Ruxbin gets 1 star for value. Needless to say, I'm disappointed, yet conflicted.

It's nice that it's BYOB because that offset the cost (seems like a wisely constructed ruse now that I think about it...). But really....I came here to eat, so please, feed me!

7/15/2015

We ate there a few weeks ago and had a tremendous time.  The space is quaint and small and while the tables are close together, I feel it only adds to the intimacy.  Our server was very sweet and welcoming.  She was attentive without being smothering.  One of the highlights is that the restaurant is BYOB with only a $5 corkage fee.  We brought one bottle and probably could have dived into a second one as the meal is nicely paced.
The concept of Ruxbin is small plates made for sharing.  Between my girlfriend and I, we shared 4 plates.  The highlight was definitely the rabbit.  Served with bay scallops and gnocchi, the dish was hearty without being heavy.  The rabbit was cooked to perfection and paired nicely with the anise sweet potato.
While it's a decent drive from our hotel in River North, the drive was definitely worth it.  I would definitely return.

6/27/2015

This place is a bit overrated in my opinion.
I've been there twice and both tines the food was good. The first time I went was over a year ago and I had mussels as well as a cotton candy dessert.

The second time I had another seafood dish which made me sick. I have a weak stomach so it is not that surprising. But ny girlfriend got sick too, which is a remarkable feat. We called them to inform them, telling them that one of their items might be contaminated. They were nice about it.

I could probably give them another shot.  I think I was unlucky

8/9/2015

I loved this place. My husband and I went on a whim one night, and since they don't take reservations, it worked in our favor. The wait was long (1+ hours) but, once your inside you understand why given the limited space.  I dot really remember the exact dishes we had not because they were remarkable but because I waited waaaay too long to write this review.  I do remember that I had a fish soup which I believe was the best soup I have ever had.   The nuances of flavor that went with the very delicate pieces of fish.  I will never forget it. I know... It's soup, but that's how delicious it was.  Looking forward to eating there again in the near future.

5/24/2015

The food here is really really good!

I tried:
-prawn with squash sauce;
- foie gras;
- rabbit (the best!!)'
- hanger steak.

Honestly everything is very good, rich in flavor but not pretentious. The only problem is that the portions are very small even compared to other fine dining restaurants. The rabbit, that was my favorite, was 30$ for a little leg. I was ok after dinner but my boyfriend was still hungry even after they brought the dessert....

The place is small and the interior is very nice but not special.

And dont forget it is BYOB!!!!

8/1/2015

YUM YUM AND ONE MORE YUM FOR GOOD MEASURE. Yes, I'm yelling about how good this place is. Ruxbin has been on my list to try for quite a while, so I was thrilled when my husband picked it for my birthday dinner this year. This little place is an absolute gem. First, BYOB- hooray! Second, they've recently begun taking reservations, which is great! We walked right in. Third, and most importantly- the food!! My husband is a venison fanatic, so he had that- I got one bite and it was awesome! I couldn't decide, so had a few of the appetizers- the watermelon salad (the ricotta!), the octopus and then split the fries w/the hubs. Everything was outstanding!! I especially loved the octopus. Because it was my birthday, they gave us dessert on the house and we had the pot de creme- it was perfect! All in all, our meal was outstanding from start to finish. The atmosphere was lovely, too. And the bathroom is a must visit- it's unique! So glad I got to celebrate my birthday at Ruxbin!

1/25/2015

A friend of mine told me about this Gem located on Ashland. I can't thank her enough for introducing me to another but one of the best BYOB in town!

To start... It is a tiny restaurant! This isn't the type of restaurants for groups! I would say it is best for an intimate night with one other person.  They do have 2 booths that can sit 4 people and 1 large table by the kitchen. Reservations are a must!

So where do I begin describing the delicious food I consumed.... I think now is a good time. First.. They bring pepper/salted popcorn to your table! Next.. They open your bottle of wine ( 5 dollar corkage fee). We ordered 2 appetizers. The first was the garlic fries. The garlic fries are definitely worth the 5 dollars! The dipping sauce was addicting! I didn't taste too much garlic but that's what made it outstanding! The second appetizer we ordered was the Foie Gras! Can't really describe it.... But was very good! I recommend it!

Now as for entrees.. We ordered their special which was their Rabbit Leg and the Red Grouper! It was the first time I ate rabbit and I loved it! It tastes similar to chicken! The chef made it perfectly tender! The grouper was mouthwatering! Perfectly cooked fish! They use all sorts of ingredients that makes these dishes outstanding! Your taste buds are in for an adventure!

Last but not least... DESSERT! We had the chocolate... Perfect way to end the evening! We also had their coffee! Not sure where they bought this coffee but it was best coffee I ever had!

My favorite part of this place is the bathroom! Just check it out!

• 

  Dessert!

  Dessert!
• 

  Foie Gras

  Foie Gras
• 

  Rabbit Leg

  Rabbit Leg

5/27/2015

After many months of looking at Ruxbin, I finally got the opportunity to take my girlfriend here for her birthday!

This is definitely a trendy, down-to-earth yet intimate restaurant. The servers were very friendly, and the setting was very chic. Start by going to the bathroom that everyone talks about. We ordered the garlic fries and a foie gras appetizer, which were both excellent. Many reviewers have commented how the garlic fries were amazing, but imo.. let's not get carried away here. The plating for the foie gras was however very pretty and hard to destroy!

For our courses we had steak (forgot the exact name) and duck breast. Most asian fusion dishes I had were very casual affairs, but this was the first time everything just worked under a fine dining backdrop.

I highly recommend this place for special occasions, or for that one day you want to elevate your dinner to the next level. Ruxbin certainly made me a fan, and now I can't wait to try their sister restaurant Mott St.!

4/27/2015

Yes...more please. That about sums it up. Everything so perfectly done. I had the rabbit, and my other 2 family members had the grouper and the duck. Everything was cooked to perfection and the waitress guided us to the perfect amount of food to order. Honestly...I'm still drooling at the memory of my meal here.
Also, as crazy as this sounds - be sure to use the restroom while you are here.  It is an experience.
Oh and cheap cheap corkage is a huge plus! Well done!! Bring your favorite bottle of wine with you.
Make reservations well in advance. They book up quickly and it is a tiny restaurants. There won't be room for you if you walk-in without a reservation.

4/27/2015

Had an outstanding meal at Ruxbin last Friday night. We had an 8pm reservation and were seated immediately. The person who seated us took our bottle of champagne to put on ice right away and brought over some coupes. (Yes, it is BYOB, but there is a $5 corkage.)

Our dishes were:
Their house popcorn--I don't like popcorn so I didn't have any, but my husband was a big fan of the snack.
Venison tartare (one of the special starters that evening)--Soooo good. I could have easily had a larger portion as my main.
Garlic fries with chipotle aioli--good, no complaints, but also not something that you should come to Ruxbin for...they're just garlic fries.
Duck breast--every bite was better than the next. I don't order duck often, but I'm glad I did! The blackberries gave it a nice added flavor.
Braised rabbit--I thought it couldn't get any better than the duck, until I tried my husband's rabbit dish. If I could go back in time, I would probably order this instead.
Pear tart--we split a dessert and, again, it was great. I can't remember the details exactly, but the ice cream it came with had a goat cheese flavor. Surprisingly welcome as I am not normally a goat cheese fan.

All in all, it was a great evening. I've taken away 1 star for the service. Let me say, the server was fine, no mishaps, didn't rush us or anything like that BUT she wasn't particularly friendly either. I wasn't looking for her to become our new BFF, but I thought she might care a tiny little bit that her attitude would influence the overall experience. A little goes a long way in terms of making your table feel welcome.

I'd recommend Ruxbin for a special occasion or a nicer night out. The atmosphere is very intimate, probably because it's a small space with not many tables. I'm glad we finally tried it and am looking forward to going back....but probably not for a while as it isn't exactly the type of place you go to regularly.

• 

  Popcorn

  Popcorn
• 

  Garlic fries

  Garlic fries
• 

  Venison tartare

  Venison tartare
• See all photos from Anna G. for Ruxbin

8/6/2015

Definitely as good as it gets. I don't know what was better the kitchen or the front of the house. I had an extra friend come into town early. Holding my breath I called a day in advance to increase our group to a table for 5. The hostess was charming and said she could do it if we came 15 minutes earlier. Noproblemo!
From start to finish the meal was nothing short of spectacular. Starting with the savory popcorn which was a nice change from bread and butter. We swept the entire appie menu. The standouts were the foie gras, octopus and heirloom tomato app. For entrees one had the rabbit which was met with oohs and aahs. I shared the pork and skirt steak. The pork was very good but the skirt steak was amazing. We shared both desserts. Everyone was happy.

4/13/2015

I'm very hard to impress when it comes to steak, but the hanger steak at Ruxbin is one to remember. It was cooked perfectly medium rare, delicately sliced into thin pieces and so tender and flavorful. Even though I was pretty full already, I managed to finish every piece of steak.

The other entrees my group got included the duck breast and the venison. I tried them all, but think the steak was the best. We also had the foie gras and the beets for appetizers. The foie gras truly tasted like elevated butter. I wasn't as impressed by the beets but I don't like beets normally. They give you free popcorn to start too.

To finish it off, we shared two desserts - the chocolate quartet and the pear tart tatin. I liked the deconstructed look of both and they were quite tasty.

Even though the steak is amazing, the decor of Ruxbin is probably the coolest thing about the restaurant. I couldn't stop looking around and wondering where they found the decor. Be sure to check out the restroom too!

We had 6pm reservations, which we were able to change to 8:30pm. It was nice that the restaurant was flexible. If you're trying to come here without a wait, I'd recommend coming later on a Sunday as the place emptied out by the time we were done with our meal.

6/22/2015

Came here for my bday celebrations and I was impressed. I'm finding that the really great restaurants in Chicago are not located in downtown. Ruxbin has a very vintage atmosphere with really nice lighting and wallpaper. The food we ordered was made fresh and tasted amazing. I had the risotto while my group ordered everything from the lamb to steak. We also ordered desserts of course and I really enjoyed the dark chocolate custard with raspberries. When you have great food, great place and great friends you can't go wrong.

• 

  Seasonal menu for June.

  Seasonal menu for June.

7/3/2015

Very delicious. I tried their tasting menu, it is so great, i love every dishes they serve, especially the main course, the beef is tender, the pork is so well cooked. They serve a little bit slowly, but compare to the taste, worth it!!!

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  Chocolate desert in the tasting menu.

  Chocolate desert in the tasting menu.
• 

  Desert in the tasting menu.

  Desert in the tasting menu.
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  Tasting menu, main course.

  Tasting menu, main course.
• See all photos from Sissy L. for Ruxbin

2/26/2015

If you ate here and complain about the price or portion size you truly don't understand dining. When you eat at a place like Ruxbin you aren't just paying for the amount of food that gets placed in front of you. You are paying for the quality of the ingredients, you pay for the chefs ideas and beautiful presentation and you pay for the server's genuineness and knowledge about the dishes. If you want a huge plate of food to be dumped in front of you by a server who hates his job this isn't the place for you.

With that said Ruxbin is my favorite restaurant in West Town. I love the neighborhood vibe it has
and the food is always impeccable. My server yesterday, Charlie, was so passionate about what they were serving and I let  him course out my dinner for me. We started with the beats and foie gras for appetizers and then some more duck and rabbit special for our entrées. The food was fresh and packed with so many flavors. My favorite was by far the rabbit, paired with pomegranate seeds and sweet potato purée it was truly to die for.

Everyone that works here from the owners to the servers are pleased to have you, which really completes your experience here. We as Chicagoans need to support locally owned and independent restaurants like Ruxbin and Mott st. (their sister restaurant). We can't let all the big chain and restaurant groups own the entire city!

:) Ruxbin

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  Foie Grasssssss

  Foie Grasssssss
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  Yummy rabbit

  Yummy rabbit

7/28/2015

I was enjoying a nice evening out with some friends, and after a while we decided to grab something to eat. We've heard about Ruxbin, and since we were in the neighborhood, we decided to give it a try.

First of all, we were given a table very fast, and it was kind of impressive considering that it was Friday. Anyway, we sat down and while we were browsing through the menu, a nice waitress came and asked us if we wanted some popcorn while doing this. She was very friendly, and she recommended us some of their best dishes. We decided to listen to her advice and we couldn't have been happier! The food was absolutely amazing, both in terms of taste and presentation. 
The atmosphere is very nice too at Ruxbin, and the staff is always eager to cater to your every need. They totally deserved their tip!

If you go there, you have to know that you can't make reservations in advance, but if you don't find a place to sit, they will inform you how long you have to wait until a table will be ready for you. I had a really great time there and I can't wait to go and eat some delicious garlic fries at Ruxbin again!

5/14/2015

Love this place. Staff is amazing. Full of knowledge, suggestions and excitement.

The food is delicious and the menu is always  changing for the season. Their deserts are amazing and so creative. Anything they do with steak order. Also any chocolate desert is a must. It's byob and there is a $5 cork fee. The kitchen is tiny but those chefs make magic out of there.

It does get a little loud but I really don't mind it's fun to be around others (unlike the table next to me who seemed annoyed they needed to sit next to someone else).

It is a small space so make a reservation, although I've walked in twice and was accommodated. Once I was sat immediately and longest I waited was 45 mins.

Come here and eat tons of great food with your favorite booze from home.

5/21/2015

Quick Hits:
Pros - Unique, tasty dishes. Casual romantic BYOB ($5 corkage).
Cons - A bit noisy.
Bill for 2 - $65-$80

Full Summary

Came across Ruxbin while looking for an upscale-ish BYOB spot in Chicago. Turned out to be quite the find.

Setting the table:
Made an 8pm reservation on a Wednesday night and was seated right away. The decor is unique, a bit artsy, and the setting is very cozy, in the sense that you are pretty close to your neighbors' tables, but at the same time it feels intimate. There are maybe 12 tables in the house total. A great date night or double-date night.

Menu:
The small menu (both in physical size and content), consists of 5 or 6 appetizers and 5 or 6 entrees, yet is full of unique and flavorful dishes. Personally, I love a small menu because it says we do these few things, and we do them darn well. If that were a rule (it's not), Ruxbin certainly would not be an exception.

Food:
Began with appetizers. Dank garlic fries. Much and more has been said of the garlic fries here, but I mean yeah, they are super. Also tried the prawn, which was good, but not something I'd write home about. Then again, I am no prawn connoisseur, so take that with a grain of salt. Main courses were the hangar steak and rabbit. My mouth is watering as I write about these plates. I only had a bite of the rabbit, but what an excellent bite it was. Juicy, tender, flavorful. The hangar steak, which I ordered, was maybe the best $30 meat I've ever tried.

Ruxbin is a restaurant to visit and revisit. Worth every penny.

7/12/2014

What a phenomenal restaurant! Great food all around, well worth the price. BYO! No alcohol served on the premise so bring your own.

Started off with the octopus and the pork belly. One of the best octopus I've had in the city (and I've had many). Tender, juicy, smoky. So many great components on the dish, I wanted to lick the plate. The pork belly was not as good but still tasty. A bit on the dryer side but the taste was good.

For entrees, ordered the Nigerian prawn and veal breast. I absolutely loved the Nigerian prawn dish. Everything on the plate I devoured. Beautifully plated and substantial amount of food. The veal breast was juicy and on the sweeter side. I liked it as well.

Skip the desert... It was something rocky road and it was terrible. The marshmallow was extremely sweet, the chocolate was extremely bitter like 90% dark chocolate, the brandy cherry was not good. The waitress noticed us picking at out dessert and quickly took it away. Props to her. Great staff!

I want to come back here again and again. Tiny restaurant, great service, awesome bathroom by the way and don't forget to bring some booze.

• 

  Rocky road dessert

  Rocky road dessert
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  Veal breast

  Veal breast
• 

  Nigerian prawn and pulled pork

  Nigerian prawn and pulled pork
• See all photos from svetlana k. for Ruxbin

7/18/2015

Great little place. We loved the trout, and the venison with figs and pomegranate jus. Ambience is cool (recycled-junk art) but relaxed, and the service is great. The place is small and we had to wait 20 minutes for a table, so they corked our BYOB bottle for us and we sipped it while waiting outside in their makeshift sidewalk lounge. Be sure to visit the bathroom too!

1/1/2015

This was my wife's idea ... I don't say that to segue into a negative review, I liked the food and the experience.  But this isn't a place I would ordinarily go.  It's byob (which is fine) with emphasis on the quality of the ingredients (also fine) but it is pricey still.  Then there is the ransom you have to pay for the privilege of making a reservation (you must show or cancel 48 hours in advance and if you don't you lose your ransom) which I completely get now that i've been there and see how small the space is and the care they put into making sure that those who DO show have a memorable dining experience.  But as the parent of two under 6 where "anything can happen" at the last minute ... ... but of course nobody put a gun to my head to make the reservation either.  

Highly recommend this restaurant, check out the menu, or call to find out if there are any changes to it, so that you can intelligently byob.  I would have made different decisions had we done that, although they were super accommodating of all the different brews and wines we brought.

5/11/2015 Updated review

I've gone back to Ruxbin a handful of times since my initial 5-star review and I'm happy to say that the food is still as good as ever.

Pros: Imaginative, flavorful dishes, BYOB, cool atmosphere.

Cons: Small portions.

Food: The food here is the star of the show.  The flavor combinations are interesting, the food is well plated and most importantly, it's tasty as all get out.  The menu changes seasonally, but it is consistently excellent.  Duck and seafood preparations are almost always superb.  The food is on par with most fine dining establishments.  Portion side is a bit small, but I felt prices fair given the quality.

Service: Warm, welcoming, down to earth.  The staff know when it's ok to joke around and when they need to allow the guests room to breathe.  I've never had a bad server.

Ambience: The place has somewhat of a steampunk vibe and it's refreshingly unpretentious.  Not good for groups of 6+ due to the small size/layout.  Ruxbin is a great place for a date, unless you're going with someone who expects white table cloths and snooty waiters -- in which case, you really need to rethink your date.

Overall: One of my favorite places to dine in Chicago.  It's a winner, winner chicken dinner (but get the duck...trust me).

12/14/2014

After many months of wanting to dine here, we finally made it to Ruxbin last night.  The food, service, decor were all five star worthy.  I thoroughly enjoyed the oysters, fries, octopus, steak, chocolate dessert.  All were fantastic.  The steak was perfectly cooked, presented beautifully, and a true treat.  The other diners at the table loved their selections, as well. Our server was amazingly helpful and good about checking on us.

The decor in this place is original and fun.  I almost felt like I was in a train car.  Loved the seats that were made into lights.  Loved the bathroom...pretty cool!

Literally, the only reason I knocked off a star and maybe a reason for not returning is the reservation policy.  This place is TINY, so you need a reservation.  If you cancel within 48 hours, there is a 25 dollar per person charge.  Plus, you get a reminder email the day of the reservation, so it is already too late to cancel.  Not sure what the point of the reminder email is at that point.  As a small business owner, I understand why they have incorporated this policy.  However, it would be very easy for Ruxbin to fill the table if there was a cancellation.  The place was packed.  If your babysitter cancels, you get sick, a family member is sick....you pay the fee.  This makes it very hard for me to feel comfortable about making a reservation and coming back.  Things happen within 48 hours.....and there are no exceptions to this rule.  

Five stars for food, decor, service!  One star for the reservation policy.

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  Steak

  Steak
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  Oysters

  Oysters

4/7/2015

Although the food at this place is top notch and it is very cute inside (and outside) our night was absolutely ruined because they ONLY ALLOW YOU 1 hour  and 30 minutes to inhale your meal. Their chef is outstanding, so not being able to savor every bite is especially difficult.

They do not mention this small detail when you make reservations, but drop this on you when you are already sitting there with your bottle of wine, looking over the menu... How thoughtful!

So, if you are looking for an amazing but VERY FAST meal, this is your place. However, if you one of those weirdos, who goes out to eat for the sake of the experience such as a date-night, celebration or catching up with a friend, then I would suggest finding a different venue. Otherwise you might have to brown-bag your left-over wine and join the homeless for the rest of your evening. Hope the weather is on your side:)

5/14/2015

I FINALLY got to come here thanks to them starting an online reservation system!

Alright lets get into it, we were seated right away and got a booth for 4. Good start.

We started off with the roof top greens and garlic fries. The garlic fries stood out as the clear winner. Someone said "they are just garlic fries" in a review below. No. These are better than just garlic fries. I've had 100 different garlic fries before, this dip was the best, and they were seasoned perfectly.

Now lets dive into the main dishes...

Rabbit - I regret getting this, the scallops it came with were super salty, and the rabbit, was good but not as good as the other dishes we ordered. I mean I just ordered it because I've never had rabbit before, so I guess that was a something to check off my food list..

Rohan Duck Breast - Very good! So good!

Hanger Steak - Cooked to perfection! Amazing!

For dessert we got the pear tart. It was veryyy good, except I have one complaint. They sprinkle a bunch of leafs on it, I forget exactly what it was, there were like 100 dry leafs of cilantro on it or something but it wasn't cilantro.. The leafs kept getting stuck in everyone's throats and we were coughing. Dry leafs don't mix well with icecream you are swallowing..

11/9/2014

I "get" why people love Ruxbin. It's a small neighborhood restaurant that appears to be a gem in West Town. It's local, not commercialized, not owned by a restaurant group. It's one of those neighborhood places that people love to love. And, it's BYO so I can see how it gets brownie points from people.

The food though for me, while it was good, it didn't blow me away. Also, I rarely comment on pricing but felt the need to here. $32 for the sea bass entree. It came as a small piece that could be finished in 4-5 bites. Not even at least a fillet size for that price? I can get a whole fish for about $10 more at other finer dining restaurants.

There's too much effort needed to dine here (limited reservations, mostly walk-ins, and out of the way location) to make me want to return.

3/9/2015

I'm struggling with how to rate this.  I'm between 3 and 4 stars but notching down only because Ruxbin is in the league of non-Michelin star spots that are better than some Michelin star spots (Purple Pig, Maudes, etc.).  Compared to these, it's just okay.  The service was very good and ambiance nice.  The food was hit and miss.  They did bring us different glasses for the different wines we brought and the complimentary popcorn was good.  Overall I did enjoy it but just based on other reviews, I was just expecting more.  I'd definitely go back.

We tried the fries, which we all agreed were fries.  They were tasty but didn't blow any of us away.  There were 4 of us so we got to try a bunch of stuff.  The prawn was small but she managed our expectations that it would be and it was very good.  The buttery pumpkin sauce is the bottom of the bowl was like crack.  The foie was very nice as well.  Overall we all agreed that the starters were superior to the entrees.  My favorite entree was the grouper.  I would highly recommend.  The pork belly was good (as all pork belly tends to be) but the squid with it had no seasoning and was a tad rubbery.  Had that squid been really good, this would have been a wonderful dish.  Overall we were all disappointed with the venison and the duck.  They both fell a bit flat to us and we get both types quite  often, both at restaurants as well as to prepare at home.  I feel these are two proteins where there is a potential 'wow' factor but neither one had that.  They were cooked very well, but just the flavor was not really as great as it could have been.  We got a flourless chocolate cake for dessert and this was solid.  There was really nothing that was bad, but with the reputation that Ruxbin has, I would have expected more than just two standout dishes (both seafood, I might add).  The menu changes often so I will go back and see if I might have a more outstanding experience next time.

6/18/2015

4.5 Stars. We really really liked our entrees a lot, the rabbit especially but the venison not far behind. We also got garlic fries and a chocolate dessert of some kind both of which were unremarkable, but we didn't care much. It's a pretty casual but cool environment. All the furnishings and decor are made out of repurposed materials. Booth backs made out of old seatbelts, etc. It's fun, but very small, which we liked. It's also cool that it's BYOB so you can bring in your own wine or beer and they will put it on ice for you.

6/2/2015

Loved everything about this place. It is cozy and chic and great for a date! Our service was excellent. The food was interesting and delicious. So happy I finally checked it out. And BYOB--does not get any better! Would definitely recommend!

9/24/2014

Ruxbin is a tiny, cool restaurant that feels very romantic. They are BYOB, which makes it a cheaper date option than a lot of other places that are on the same food level. We tried the corn soup, grilled octopus, hanger steak, ravioli, and peach cake. YUM. Everything was super tasty, but my favorite of the night was the hanger steak. It was perfectly cooked medium rare, and it was served with purple potatoes and grilled broccoli. There was a chimichurri sauce and some other zesty little sauce on the plate that were also both excellent.

Make a reservation for 2 or 4 (any larger really can't be accommodated in the small space) and of course, check out the bathrooms!

9/22/2014

If you only go here to see the Tardis-like restroom, it will be worth it.

Seriously- what a fun, steam-punk inspired setting, matched equally by imaginative, delicious entrees and excellent service.

We started with Octopus with chick peas, garlic fries (I could have just stuck with those and been a happy camper) and Pork Belly paired with grapefruit and corn bread. We followed that with an assortment of entrees including melt in your mouth hangar steak and prawn and pulled pork. Nice sized portions and beautiful presentation.

That fell apart with the dessert: bland peach cake and bizarre "deconstructed" chocolate cake. It looked as though they started scraping a real piece of chocolate cake off the plate of someone's dessert and said "wait a minute, wouldn't it be cool to serve it?". Ok,  joking, but the presentation was a little too hipster for my tastes.

All in all, dessert was not a deal breaker because the meal, the apps, the service, and atmosphere were all top drawer. We will go back!

6/20/2014

Took the gf here for her birthday last week and it did not disappoint.
Actually... it blew our socks off!    
Our meal consisted of:
-Garlic Fries:
-Octopus:
-Pork Belly:
-Nigerian Prawn & Pulled Pork:
-Hanger Steak

I highly, highly recommend the Hanger Steak, Octopus, and Garlic Fries.  The Steak was soooo good.  Great tenderness on the meat, with delectable marinade/spice. Then matched with the chimichurri, perfection.

But from everything we ate -  just like kindergarten, they ALL GET A STAR!  5 stars!

BYOB is a great plus to help keep the price of a nice meal within reason.
Also, this year they started to take reservations online and I  was able to make one a few days in advance. EZ-PZ.

1/27/2015

I wish my wallet would allow me to come here every weekend (especially now that they accept reservations). Ruxbin is one of my favorite restaurants, ever. It's small, but cozy. Not pretentious. I really love the BYOB.

I am not a steak person by any means, but I can't NOT order the hangar steak every time I come here. It's delicious. The garlic fries, another menu staple, are also a must. Everything I've had here has been wonderful.

12/29/2014

A great little byob restaurant! Reservations taken 30 days out; definitely recommend having a reservation. The decor is simple, but very warm and inviting. Our service was simple and fine for the evening. The food took a bit more time than expected, but the presentation and taste definitely hit the mark. We started sharing appetizers for our party of four: two orders of oysters, fried octopus and the pork belly. The favorite was definitely the pork belly, followed close behind by the octopus. The oysters were a flat out disappointment. They were prepared as a trio, but none of the preparations really worked for us, especially the smoked oyster which tasted like pure salt.
Our entrees were awesome - sea bass, duck, and hanger steak. The temperatures of the meats was perfect, the side dishes were fabulous and the portion sizes were very nice. We only had room left for one dessert so we went for the chocolate, which was delicious!
I had read in plenty reviews about the bathroom, so we each paid a visit! I felt like I was on the Jetsons, quite a unique entry to the loo! Don't forget to lock the revolving door once you're inside, or you could have an unexpected visitor!

1/21/2015

Was not sure what to expect from this place. But wow was I surprised, the food is amazing and the wait staff is on point. They all know what is being served and they do not give you any bs! I highly recommend coming here and trying it out. The bathroom is a must check out here! Very cool!
I cannot wait to go again!

5/14/2015

Went last night for my birthday dinner...and at long last have found my favorite place!!  Started with the foie gras, which I initially didn't want to order, as I thought it might be rich and heavy.  It was light but still creamy.  Far exceeded my expectations.  Then garlic fries that were fun and delicious.    After reading intrepid yelper reviews, decided to go for the frog leg dish figuring if you're going to eat frog...this is the place to try it.  To die for!!!  So many little flavors and sensations all happening in one dish...My husband had the hanger steak which is beautifully seasoned and prepared.  It will be hard for me to choose between these dishes next time.  Pear dessert was creative and excellent.  It's a fun, unpretentious place and I can't wait to go back!!!

11/24/2014

I've been taking my time to review the restaurants that my friend and I visited during our foodie crawl weekend to Chicago in mid-Sept.  Given our ambitious itinerary (We made it to 17 spots total in less than 72 hours) and with the sheer saturation of taste buds, I wanted to make sure I gave each spot a fair assessment.  Ruxbin was one of the (many) spots where we ate quite light as we were having a late-ish dinner a few hours later at Girl & the Goat with a nightcap at the Aviary afterwards.  The menu was quite subtle and I didn't appreciate it at the time.  But after a bit of reflection, it is clear that the flavors were quite complex and delicious.  We ordered only 2 things-- the daily crudo and an apple and plum salad (w/ baby arugula, shaved celery, almonds, manchego, and a walnut-sherry vinaigrette).  I love that a clearly popular restaurant is BYOB... that's true restraint not to make that kind of easy money! :)

Most memorable for me about Ruxbin was the restroom (Yes, the restroom!)-- no door, just a re-purposed darkroom entryway-- how very nostalgic (at least for those of us old enough to remember using non-digital cameras and developing the film and photos ourselves, it took me right back to high school photography!)

10/30/2014

Ruxbin is easily in my top 3 of Chicago restaurants! I have been here twice now and have been blown away both times.

It is a small restaurant with less than 20 tables including the chefs table. The atmosphere is very warm and inviting, nothing I've seen around Chicago.

They are byob too which is always a plus. It's hard to find a nice byob that isn't either overly pricey or Asian/cheap. Ruxbin is definitely a nice restaurant i would recommend for an event or special occasion but it is not snobby like a river north restaurant.  

The best part, the food! OMG is it good.
I've had the halibut and sea bass. I don't normally order fish at a restaurant but their fish is out of this world, it's a mouth watering experience. I eat slowly just to make it last longer, no joke. The flavors are vibrant and work great together. They always start you off with a popcorn topped with herbs, which is wonderful. My date got the hanger steak which was equally as amazing. We also got the grilled calamari which was epic. For dessert we got the chocolate trio- lets just say we were fighting to lick the plate, that good.

I love this place so much I almost don't want to tell people about it since it can be difficult to get a reservation. But it's too good not to share. Do yourself a favor and go here. Enjoy!

4/29/2014

I think my 3.5 star rating for Ruxbin is another reason I should NOT wait too long to visit a restaurant. The longer I wait, the higher my expectations, and the more likely I'll be underwhelmed.

We had a party of 4 and got there early enough before the place filled up. We also had a reservation, so we were seated promptly. Food-wise we ordered the octopus and garlic fries as appetizers, halibut, hanger steak, prawns & pulled pork and lamb. While the flavors were excellent, I thought the portion sizes were definitely smaller than what I expected for the price point. I have a healthy appetite and left hungry at the end of the meal.

Service was excellent: servers were very knowledgeable of the dishes and made sure to explain them to us as they came out.

I'd recommend it because the quality of the food was great, but don't come hungry or have an after-dinner plan!

11/9/2014

While the food is quite tasty, the menu is limited and rather over-priced.  One of the items I ordered was their sea bass priced at $32 and you only get a small piece of fish.  Also, I did not really like the how they give you popcorn instead of a bread service.

It is always difficult to write a poor review for a place that regularly receives 4- or 5-star reviews.  So it is unfortunate that my personal experience was one where I would say "Meh, I've experienced better."  Exactly what Yelp's definition of a 2-star review is.    

I know BYOB places tend to get higher Yelp reviews, but I judge the establishment from a completely objective point of view and my experience wasn't great.

10/14/2014

Oh, so many emotions going on thinking about this place.

Ok, so, like, this place is small.  As in, not La Gondola on Ashland teensy, but small spaces and close quarters.  So close, in fact, that we had the pleasure of overhearing the thrilling conversations of the neighbors on each side of us.  To the right of us were two lawyers who were likely married to each other (or were married to others and sought a small restaurant like Ruxbin out to commit their passionate crime) and only talked about one thing:  their jobs.  Ugh, are people so uninteresting that all they can talk about is how big of a settlement they just closed on or how they love working 6 bajillion billable hours a week?  Like, gag me with a bowl of popcorn.  Oh, speaking of that, the next couple who sat to the right of us, likely a blind date, featured a woman who expressed concern over the popcorn as it may contain something that would send her into anaphylactic shock.  I. Kid. You. Not.  So let's just say a good portion of our meal was spent figuring out how to save these poor people from their crazy dates.

I tried not to let these weirdos get in the way of the beauty of each plate that came before us.  And, mark my word, the plates are beautiful, and the waitresses will offer you a very detailed explanation of just how beautiful they are.  Too pretty to eat?  Not when you're starving.  And don't be tacky and take a photo.  It's a small restaurant, ya know.

The menu is small, maybe 6 appetizers and 6 entrees, all sounded good, nothing overly daring.  The garlic fries are a must, though I passed on the aioli since mayo-based sauces are Satan's work.  The pork belly was the star of my night sky and was easily the best I have had.  For mains, the SO went with the duck and I the sea bass.  The duck was phenomenal.  I normally steer clear of duck because it's a bit too fatty for me and I can only handle it if it's super crispy or pretty close to well-done.  I am confident the waitress said this was more towards the rare side and I still thought it was delicious.  My sea bass was so pretty, although either the table or the floor is uneven because the black tea/ginger broth slid a little too much to the left.  It was like a small little white fishy decorated with a pureed potato dress decorated with crispy little sweet potato wedges.  Cute, right?  Tiny, yes.  I enjoyed every bite as I slowly, slowly, slowly ate it, because I was so hungry I thought that, by eating it slower, it would trick my stomach into thinking it was a much larger meal.  Truth is, I would have had no problem ordering myself an extra bucket o' garlic fries because, after splitting two bottles of really, really good wine, I was a bit tipsy and sustenance was key.  But it was really good...

The one ding I am giving is a general, nit-picky type critique.  Hear me out.  The interior of Ruxbin is awesome.  The lights are really cool, the walls are decorated really fun.. I mean, it's just neat.  The SO asked the waitress who designed the interior, or what inspired the designs for certain aspects of the interior, and the answer we were given was an "I don't know."  But not like an "Oh, I am not sure, let me check for you", just kind of like a apathetic hipster-type response.  I mean, that's fine, I GUESS... but do what the rest of us do when we "don't know" something: get the info, or make up some ridiculously crazy story.  I mean, we won't really know the truth anyway, right?!

It's BYOB which is great because the restaurant isn't cheap and we easily would have run up a crazy bill.  $5 for the corkage though.  I swear that's illegal.

Great place for a date or a small group or crazy date watching.  Not a great place if you don't wanna be a part of your neighbor's conversation.

12/4/2014

Let me start by saying that the food here is excellent. If I were only rating the food, I would have given a 4 star rating. It would have just missed 5 stars because of the portion size, which is quite small.

I'm giving the restaurant an overall 3 star rating largely because the pretentiousness, at least for me, detracted from the experience. There are a lot of rules, including refusal to prepare meat at a different temperature than the chef wants to. I was also required to provide a credit card number and agree to a $25 per guest charge if I cancelled my reservation less than 48 hours in advance (this would have cost $100 for my party). Additionally, the menu is tiny and there were no entree specials. People with dietary restrictions may want to eat elsewhere, as there are limited choices and no substitutions.

Lastly, while the food is excellent, it was grossly overpriced. The only reason they don't get a 4th $ in the price rating is they don't service alcohol. Overall, I would only consider visiting this restaurant again if they had an entirely new menu. For me, repeating the same choices wouldn't be worth it.

10/15/2014

(This review would be 4.5 stars if that was possible.)

My wife and I went to Ruxbin on Oct. 14 to celebrate her birthday. She had been there previously and raved about it, and it was my first trip.

The setting is intimate and non-obnoxiously quirky (the decor is all repurposed/recycled materials and the door into the restroom is a lot of fun). We were seated promptly and greeted with a bowl of seasoned popcorn to get things started. It's BYOB (with a $5 corking fee), and our waitress opened the bottle for us while talking through the specials.

We ordered the garlic fries as an appetizer (perfect size for sharing). The fries were delicious -- perfectly cooked and with a garlicky kick that lived up to their name. They came out piping hot and not at all greasy.

For our entrees, she ordered the sea bass and I ordered the duck breast (both of which went nicely with the Pinot Noir we brought). There was a bit of a backlog in the kitchen, so they sent out an heirloom tomato salad on the house while we waited, which was a nice gesture that was well-appreciated (and the salad was delicious too -- well-balanced mix of citrus, apple and cheese with the tomatoes).

The sea bass came with a robust broth and crisp ginger, which gave a brisk counterpoint to the rich fish. There were little bits of pickled plum on the plate, which really seemed to complete the dish.

The duck breast was delicious as well. It's cooked medium-rare with crispy skin and came with roasted apples and crispy Brussels sprouts. An unexpected highlight of the dish was the pieces cheddar pain perdu (cheesy french toast). It was a mouthful of creamy richness that paired perfectly with the fall flavors in the sprouts, apples and pecans.

Some reviews express disappointment at portion size. If you're an adherent to the Trough Mentality of dining out, then yes, you might be disappointed that the dishes aren't served with a shovel on a cafeteria tray. But in our opinions the dishes were perfectly sized entrees for a rational human.

Ruxbin is a great experience and a fair value -- it's not everyday-cheap, but the prices are considerably better for comparable dishes at other nice Chicago restaurants. The service was great and the food was perfectly cooked.

12/7/2014

Reservations at this place are tough, we had reservations @ 6:15 Saturday night and that was perfect! We avoided the madness of the post 7pm crowd. For apps we had the octopus, squash, garlic fries and of course the pork belly. All 5 stars! Then proceeded to have the duck, scallops, bass, and raviolo. All were 4.5 stars or better, except for the raviolo, it was a 3.5 stars. The dish had too many strong flavors and not one solid one. So I would give our visit a 5 star for the delightful service and a 4 star for the food. This time I'm rounding down to 4 stars overall!

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  The duck

  The duck
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  Sea Bass

  Sea Bass
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  The raviolo

  The raviolo
• See all photos from Alex U. for Ruxbin

4/21/2014

I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. In many ways, I now feel fully relieved having come to Ruxbin. Why you ask? Well, I've recommended this place sooooo many times on the basis of what others have told me, and yet I only recently went here. /Sigh. While I wouldn't call that one of my deepest and darkest secrets, it was a bit of a secret and now it isn't anymore. This honesty thing feels very very good.

You know what else is very very good......Ruxbin. I'm not gonna lie, there is a lot of satisfaction, but mostly, there is elation. This place utterly rocks.

I had been meaning to come here for way too long, and with my friends in town, this was finally the perfect chance. We made sure to do a Sunday reservation. We had an 8 month preggers woman with us, so getting there really early and waiting for a seat wasn't going to work. We made sure to get later reservations for our small group. On top of that, there was no way we weren't gonna take advantage of the BYO offer.

See, now this is another thing that puts Ruxbin in to that special category.  It's rare to have a place with such high quality food and be completely free of corkage. This rarity is something that really adds to the overall experience.

Back to the food. We started off with the pork belly and garlic fries. The pork belly was just absolutely killer. In some ways it was hard for the garlic fries to compete with the awesome the pork belly brought. But, for me, when there is the combination of garlic and fries, I'm gonna be in my happy place. Garlic is just one of those things that I absolutely love to my core (basil being the other). So, to have garlic and fries together are a match made in Keith A. heaven.

Onto the entrees. Since my friends and I generally treat things as small plates and share, we were to share our entrees. My friend had been eyeing up the etouffee, and, well, who were any of us to argue? His yearning for it was certainly the way to go as it was absolutely delicious. We then moved onto the hanger steak. We had a few cali cabs and this was just a natural thing to have. Good thing we weren't let down by either the wine or the steak. This was cooked perfectly and was everything we all wanted.

Ruxbin is a major win in my book. They are small, so smaller groups are needed, but that doesn't stop it from being a major win. In the words of Ahnuld Schwarznegger: I vill be bahq.

4/4/2014

Pros: small and comfy, scallop, deer leg and garlic fries are must -eats;
Cons: I think the form of the dish is too overemphasized compared to its decorations and displayed atmosphere; for example, Black Forest cake is decorated too much that it lost its point.

But in general we enjoyed the place, might not come back in the near future tho..

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  Badly taken; but this is the deer leg. Also very well seasoned...

  Badly taken; but this is the deer leg. Also very well seasoned...
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  Scallop; extremely tasty due to the seasoning

  Scallop; extremely tasty due to the seasoning

8/4/2014

All I can say is wow, what an exceptional dining experience. If you are looking for fancy decor and an over priced wine list this is not your place. The modest, repurposed interior is part vintage and part junk yard art and it works.

The menu is short and simple, allowing the kitchen to focus on quality. You have to try the pork belly starter. With corn bread and jicama the taste combination is exceptional. We both had the salmon entree which was cooked medium rare with an exterior crust giving you the impression the filet is over cooked but not so. The onion and fried green tomato were a flavorful accompaniment. The panne cotta was light and a wonderful ending to a great dinner.

The staff was well informed and easily worked as a team moving from table to table. With seating for about 40 in a small space the coverage worked well. BYOB allows you to add your own wine without the restaurant markup.

Don't miss the rest room, the entrance is special.

7/17/2013

Dishes enjoyed:

Popcorn
Pork Belly - Cornbread, Jicama, Grapefruit, Danablu Cheese, Citrus Vinaigrette
Flatbread - Prosciutto, Goat Cheese, Persimmon, Hazelnuts, Fennel Seed
Carrot Soup Shooter - Carrot Juice, Pork Rillettes, Cracker
Duck Breast - Baby Greens, Shaved Fennel, Snow Peas, Orange, Mustard Vinaigrette, Zucchini Bread
Rocky Road - Brownies, Smoked Cherries, Juniper Ice Cream, Almonds, Marshmallow Fluff, Cotton Candy, Creme Fraiche Caramel
Pineapple Upside Down Cake - Coconut Sorbet, Cumin Tuile, Thai Basil Seeds, Cured Pecans

With just 32 seats and enough critical acclaim to fill them each night I will start with one suggestion and move right to the next.  First, plan in advance and make a reservation for Sunday since it is the only day Ed Kim's "American bistro" will guarantee you a seat without the possibility of waiting in line.  Second, go with an open mind, close your eyes, and just point at anything on the menu because no matter what you order there is a good chance it will look little like what you expected and taste far better than you'd have guessed.

Small,  long, and dark with the kitchen up a flight of stairs and the diners below I requested a seat near the back and within minutes received the night's menu and a list of specials from one of three friendly servers, each personable yet professional and more than capable of describing the ins and out of the menu.  Not telling them that this was a pre-dinner it was suggested that 2-4 plates per guest was advised and after a short discussion opted for a quintet that would begin to arrive shortly following the restaurant's oft raved sweet and salty popcorn.

Featuring reclaimed woods, menus, cookbooks, and even forks to support the mirrors in the (awesome - check it out) restroom  the décor of Ruxbin could best be described as shabby-modern while the food, a testament to Chef Kim's tenure in some of America's best kitchens and excellent sourcing, is anything but...the flavors and textures sharp and bright while presentations are that of comfort foods, familiarity with finesse - a palate cleansing carrot soup shooter topped with cracklin' pork and a light, balanced, and truly impressive flatbread proving ample skills in melding sweet with savory while the duck and pork dishes both took heavier proteins and brought their subtleties into focus with crunchy vegetables and the restrained use of acid; the pork belly especially impressive as the grapefruit and cornbread melded with the melting fat to great effect in both flavor and mouthfeel.

Never one to pass on desserts I was equally impressed by the pastry side of Ruxbin as I was by the savories, both dishes the sort of situation where reading the ingredients may give one pause (as it did for my family who opted to sit out this meal) but both rustic in structure but refined in taste and texture; the cake 'deconstructed' at best with hints of earth and spice hiding behind the sweetness, all mellowed by the coconut and the Rocky Road without a doubt one of the best desserts I've had in 2013 - a sweet and smoky pudding that played like a fudgy sundae spread across a long plate; a plate that my seat at the back wall allowed me to scrape clean (and briefly debate licking until I realized I could use my finger to similar effect.

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• 
• 
• See all photos from Michael U. for Ruxbin

1/27/2014

My friends LOVE Ruxbin, so I was excited to give this place a whirl. Unfortunately, while I enjoyed the food, nothing outstanding or amazing comes to mind.

+Sure, they've got a neat bathroom that's got a darkroom door and endless music posters.
+Yeah, you can have your bottle of wine delivered to your table, since they're BYOB-only.
+OK, the food and service are pretty good.

Maybe I've become jaded with my food experiences (woe is me, I know), so nothing spectacular happened here. Definitely stop by, but keep the expectations in check.

4/21/2014

I had a truly beautiful experience at Ruxbin, in all ways possible. First impressions upon walking in -- I loved the intimate feeling of the space and the decor, especially the re-purposed materials (seat belts for chair backs? so creative!). AND (this sounds so strange on a review for a restaurant), I would definitely make a trip to the bathroom, which is so unique with a darkroom door!

The food itself was really like a work of art. My boyfriend and I each had an oyster appetizer. The plating itself was gorgeous -- three oysters on a bed of coarse salt with live thyme wound throughout. The oysters were meant to be eaten in succession (mignonette, sambal picked ginger, and applewood-smoked with pork belly and wild rice). The final one was served under a glass cloche and was divine -- the flavors (the smoke, wood, oyster sea-taste, crunch of the pork belly and rice) reminded me of eating an oyster straight from the ocean on a wet pier.

I ordered the spring raviolo entree, which I felt brought all the flavors of spring together in my mouth in one beautiful medley. The multitude of textures worked together so well -- the velvety soft pasta, the lightness of the foam, the thickness of the egg yolk and ricotta, the crispiness of the vegetables, and the extra crunch of red quinoa on top, which added just the perfect amount of nuttiness to the whole dish. I loved that the whole dish was covered in ramp pistou -- what else says spring more than ramps?

My boyfriend's halibut entree, perhaps compared to my raviolo, did appear more underwhelming. The halibut was done well, but just seemed more bland in terms of flavors and textures.

My boyfriend and I splurged on both desserts, and I honestly can't decide which one I enjoyed more. I loved the apple sorbet in the taffy apple dessert, and the chocolate semifreddo in the black forest cake dessert. The plating for both desserts was done so well, and I found myself feeling sad that I couldn't take more pictures on my phone before the ice creams starting melting!

P.S. So glad that a friend tipped us off that this place is BYOB! Don't forget to bring a good bottle of wine to go with the amazing food at this place!

2/22/2014

Lovely, warm and inviting atmosphere. It's quite hard to describe the theme that they're going for but it really works. The place is really small (as are the portions unfortunately) but the flavors are exquisite.

First of all, order the garlic fries but skip the aioli. For someone who likes value but is worth paying the extra amount for quality, it was definitely worth the flavor. They would make great steak-frites.

The waitress also recommended the Mushroom Toast, and they were YUM. The soft baked biscuit with pine nuts and mushroom on top not only had a lot of flavor but was very memorable. Much better than the main in my opinion.

Lastly, we ordered the steak and I almost cried when I saw the portions. Yes, they were tender but come'on that's not gonna fill me up! Yes, I may be a college student but I also could have bought a pair of shoes  that would give me greater utility in the long run. That aside, I liked the flavors of the sauces on the plate. They paired well with the broccoli, the steak, and the potato.

10/20/2014

Had dinner here this past weekend for my birthday. I was really impressed. This is definitely the type of place where the hostess to the chef have made an art out of what they serve and how they treat you. They only take reservations, no walk ins. The other thing is you can only call on Sunday's to make reservations. They're typically pretty booked so call in advance.

They know what they're doing when it comes to good food and they definitely know how to keep a good vibe.
Personally, I love the atmosphere. It has a super chill classic rustic feel to it but they're still pretty high end.

it's BYOB and they have a store near by that delivers directly to your table. You just need to call and order from their selection.

I definitely recommend this place.

10/2/2014

This place was culinary perfection. Such creative dishes that are constantly changing. That means - if you see something you wanna try, get it! It won't be around for long.

The oysters tonight were prepared three radically different ways, all wonderful. One involved candied bacon. That is all I'll say about that.

The pork belly salad stole the show for me. Crisped and caramelized pork belly balanced by the citrus of pomelo, and all paired with fresh slices of dense, sweet cornbread. I could die.

My advice would be to order A LOT of different things to share so you can get a taste of everything that Chef Kim has to offer. Special thanks to his sister and owner Vicki for putting a wonderful night together for us!

9/24/2014

From start to finish this place was awesome. I had the endive ceasar which was very fresh and was a great twist on the original. My mom and sister had the salmon tartare which was the appetizer special. It was so fresh and balanced!! For the entree I had the curry quinoa which was so fantastic. It was rich and well balanced with just the right amount of heat. The other dishes at the table were the pork loin and the hanger steak which were both well liked. Did I mention they brought us a small bowl of complimentary garlic fries. I don't even like fries and these were scrumptious. Everyone else was full, but my gluttony convinced me to order dessert. I had the mixed berry shortcake. Now I have been to a lot good restaurants that have great savory dishes and then treat the dessert like an afterthought. I like dessert. This dessert was de-licious!! I like the BYOB minus the corkage fee.

Only minor complaint was the napkins left a substantial amount on my sisters' knit clothing.

8/10/2014

Ruxbin is one of my favorite BYOB's in Chicago. I like them even more now, because they now take reservations. Some of my favorites include the apple and plum salad, the hangar steak, and the trout. The trout hasn't been on the menu for quite some time because the menu does change from time to time. This place is also a great date-night spot. My girlfriend loves it every time we come here. Highly recommended!

2/14/2014

There are a lot of restaurants in Chicago that are on the "national" foodie scene. Alinea. Avec. After a long travel day and another of meetings, I was too tired for a high church dinning experience. Even the most avid foodie, once in a while says, "I am not up for lavender and sea salt foam tonight." A little research brought me to Ruxbin, a small, cozy neighborhood spot whose reputation sits just under the national radar.

What a find. The food was remarkable. There is real innovation happening in the kitchen.

As an amuse bouche, they served me a smoked oyster. It arrived under glass bowl. The bivalve sat on a pile of sea salt and burned wood chips. The bowl held in the smoke. There were tiny croutons of something delicious in the shell. OK. It was a novel presentation, but the bite was excellent.

The carrot soup was full of cardamon essence, and it was creamy and delicious. The soup comes with a pumpernickel crouton on the side. You will begin to notice that there is a "deconstructed" nature to many of the dishes. The waiter remarked to me, "yeah, that is sort chef's thing."

I also tried the mushroom toast. The mushrooms were lightly marinated in balsamic vinegar and served with greens and sliver of manchego.

For dinner, I tried the black cod. It was beautifully cooked. They chef respected the fish. The Asian mushrooms and flavor profile was nice variation on the now common grilled black cod with miso that has popped up all over the place.

Dessert was a deconstructed black forest cake. It was a fun approach, allowing you to construct your own bites from the cake, cherries, and frosting. Coffee is French press style.

They do not take reservations, and they do not have a liquor license. The waiter will tell you about a wine shop that will deliver for a small fee. I did not opt for it. If you're out on a date, remember to stop in advance for wine.

9/23/2014

My wife and I celebrated our One Year Anniversary at Ruxbin this past Saturday. We had a truly amazing time! The restaurant is small and off the beaten path, and still incredibly delicious! The food could not have been better and the service was impeccable. The restaurant is also BYOB, making it a very affordable, luxury meal.

Hint: While this may be strange to read, I highly recommend using their bathroom! In order to enter the one person room, you need to go through an old school functioning dark room door!

10/15/2014

PERFECTION! I was looking for somewhere to take my fiance for his Birthday as a surprise. I was looking at a few options and stumbled upon Ruxbin. I decided "why not!" The reviews were great and I wanted to find out what all the buzz was about. We were NOT disappointed. A huge pro is that they are BYOB! This is tremendously helpful!
We started with the octopus and pork belly, both delicious!! Then on to the main courses. The scallops were literally the most well prepared scallops we have ever had, hands down. They were cooked to perfection! It is very easy to over or under cook scallops, so I was seriously in awe. The flank steak was also amazing! It had such great flavor to it and was cooked perfectly, also.

I already have recommended this place, and will continue to, to multiple people. We will be back soon!

6/29/2014

Came here with my girls and we all loved it!  So sexy, so delicious....the swag in this place is just SICK. We tried a number of things and the presentation alone was impressive.  I was a total fan of most of what we had and some things were just ok. Definitely worth a comeback and hey, great chefs!

7/20/2013

I've heard great things about this place and I am happy to say that the boy and I enjoyed ourselves very much! We brought 2 bottles of wine (which was a bad idea by the end of dinner) and snagged a table with zero minutes of waiting because of the rainy weather.

We ordered 2 of the crudo (oysters prepared 3 different ways), octopus appetizer, pork belly appetizer, salmon entree for me and the duck for him. The food was amazing. Albeit kind of small since we ended up ordering a side of fries at the end of our meal. 6-7 dishes total for dinner seems a bit much to me. The popcorn was kind of bland.

I liked the atmosphere and how eclectic things are but it's hard to see your food in such dim lighting and we were kind of cramped at our table. The waitress was helpful and the bathroom remind me of Superman and his changing room/phone booth.

Ruxbin, I had a wonderful time. The food was tasty and the wine wouldn't stop flowing. I just won't come here absolutely starving.

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  Pork belly with jicama and corn bread.

  Pork belly with jicama and corn bread.
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  Crudo of the day: oysters prepared 3 different ways.

  Crudo of the day: oysters prepared 3 different ways.
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  Ruxbin!

  Ruxbin!

7/3/2014

What an amazing EXPERIENCE! From the hostess to the food runner and of course our server Cassie. Everything was outstanding. I had been hearing about Ruxbin ever since I moved down the block and had never had the opportunity to try it out. My boyfriend and I made 8:30 reso's and knew it was BYO and brought a bottle of wine and champagne. We arrived about an hour and a half earlier then our set time (we were hungry) but the hostess told us we wouldn't be seated until our timed reso (totally understandable), she then asked if we had any wine that we would like to leave there and we gave her the bottles that were kept cool as we traveled off to The Chipp Inn.

We arrived back at 830 and were sat immediately with our bottles waiting for us at the table. We started with the fries and oysters, and the fries were probably the best I've ever had. For our mains we had the steak and salmon both extremely delicious and for dessert we had the chocolate cake option. All the food was phenomenal. The setting is very small and intimate, a great place for a date night dinner, and the prices were extremely reasonable for the quality of the meal. Thank you Cassie for making our anniversary dinner so amazing, we will be back!

5/20/2014

Where does one begin? I could start at the tight quarters that enabled me to listen to every single word of the the conversation at the table next to me. But, that would be too easy. We could then move to the fact it's BYOB (with a $6 corkage fee) and offer no other beverages, except their overpriced house made sodas, water and coffee. But, that would be too easy as well. So instead let's focus on the fact the "kitchen" will not cook any meat to your desired temp. I ordered the Lamb and Pork Belly. Was very excited. Sounded amazing. I like my meat medium well to well. If I'm paying for it, I should be able to get it like I prefer. But, no, Ruxbin would have none of that. I was told the kitchen only makes the lamb rare. Obviously, they're capable of making it medium, medium well, well, etc. They simply choose not to. To me, that's simply pretentious. This was the same case with my wife's hangar steak. She wanted it medium. They would ONLY cook it medium rare. I'm sorry, that's just bullshit.

The fries from the appetizer menu and the beet salad, were very good. Thank god, we didn't need to ask for a cooking temp preference for those.

I left hungry, which is ridiculous, and went to Green Street Meats to satisfy that hunger.

If you're into this type of snotty attitude, Ruxbin is a delight. If you instead, believe, that since you're paying for it, you should be able to have it your way...well, head to Burger King.

4/23/2014 Updated review

Really people, you have to get the octopus here.

Aaaaand they've recently started taking reservations. Go for it.

11/9/2014

My boyfriend made a reservation for tonight for my birthday. Trying to be responsible, he called ahead to confirm the reservation. That's when we found out that they don't accept Amex. Since that's his only CC, he asked to cancel the reservation. While they don't accept Amex, they did charge a $50 cancellation fee on his Amex. WHAT. And it's not like we can get that reservation back now. I've been looking forward to eating at Ruxbin for over a year, but now they've left a bad taste in my mouth. :(